1
as in fight
a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective
passing the medical licensing exam was an uphill battle, but she succeeded
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
a battle between rival gangs left two people lying dead on the street
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in field
active fighting during the course of a war
soldiers who desperately wanted to forget the horrors that they had witnessed in battle
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4
as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the chess game was a real battle between two of the world's best players
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
3
as in to fight
to oppose (someone) in physical conflict
the two armies battled each other for control of the bridge
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to oppose
to strive to reduce or eliminate
we must battle hunger and poverty wherever they exist
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of battle
Justin Jouvenal The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2025
On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including the latest in the growing battle for women’s soccer supremacy between the NWSL and England.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
The pinstripe-laden crowd stood as Ben Rice battled through a 10-pitch at-bat against Max Scherzer in Sunday’s first inning.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for battle
Noun
The legal battle over foreign aid has been long and complicated, bouncing to the Supreme Court and back over the last six months.
—Justin Jouvenal The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2025
On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including the latest in the growing battle for women’s soccer supremacy between the NWSL and England.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
In addition to the tag team match and mixed tag match, Brock Lesnar and John Cena will battle one-on-one.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
The pinstripe-laden crowd stood as Ben Rice battled through a 10-pitch at-bat against Max Scherzer in Sunday’s first inning.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for battle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for battle
Noun
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Yet two of the first three weekends on CU’s fight card have resembled the Kansas and Kansas State losses of 2024.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
13 Sep. 2025
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Naoya Inoue, who is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters and 30-0, is defending his super bantamweight title on Sunday in Japan, just hours after Álvarez and Crawford fight.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Still one of the NFL’s nastiest division rivalries, the game was full of skirmishes and a near-costly unnecessary roughness penalty late in the third against the Eagles that put the Cowboys in position to take the lead.—
Dan Gelston,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Ideological skirmishes over the motives and obligations of Carpenter’s music include both sincere interrogation of its feminism and smirking counteractive reprisals to that scrutiny.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Cortège Out on the cricket fields at The Los Angeles Equestrian Center, an experiential open-air event is bringing together dance, sound, light, puppetry, costume, myth, and robotic canines.—
David Hochman,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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The emotions of that victory two years ago were apparent at the time — Sirianni was bombastic exiting the field after the emotional win — but there is no concept of revenge this time.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The rivalry itself has been tight.—
Sindiswa Mabunda,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Djokovic ultimately emerged as the third man, which enriched the dynamic and added layers, creating three rivalries where previously there had been one.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Drennan, 43, grew up helping his brothers and uncles build derby cars and later competed in a few derbies himself.—
Sean Clancy,
Arkansas Online,
14 Sep. 2025
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Masino argued the company needed to update its image, menu and restaurants to compete in a difficult environment.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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One of the main challenges facing the economy is the strained relationship between Beijing and Washington as disputes over technology and geopolitics mount.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
15 Sep. 2025
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Jackson faced several setbacks this season but proved her fitness during the 100-meter dash rounds the past two days.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In recent years, as Bolsonaro and his allies engineered a pervasive campaign of false claims on the Brazilian internet, de Moraes led an effort to combat disinformation.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
10 Sep. 2025
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Over the past two years, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has shifted its focus to combating specific practices within surveillance advertising, particularly those involving sensitive data, lack of consent or deceptive and unfair practices.—
Jodi Daniels,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The takeover remains widely unpopular among Washington residents – some 80% oppose it, according to a Washington Post poll.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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Charles and Harry’s meeting aside, Prince William wasn’t the only one reportedly opposed to reconciliation.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Battle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/battle. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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